London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
St Pancras 1923
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, Metropolitan Borough]
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53
MEASLES AND GERMAN MEASLES.
These diseases are compulsorily notifiable in St. Pancras under the Metropolitan
Boroughs of Lambeth and St. Pancras (Measles and German Measles) Regulations, 1920. All
cases are notifiable by parents or guardians; but only the first case occurring in a house, etc.,
during an outbreak, is notifiable by the medical practitioner in attendance, an interval of two
months since the previous case constituting an outbreak.
From 1916 to 1919, these diseases were compulsorily notifiable throughout England
and Wales; but at the end of 1919 notification was abandoned by order of the Ministry of
Health. In a few districts, St. Pancras being one, notification was retained by means of
special regulations.
The borough was singularly free from these diseases, during the past year only 327
cases of measles and 134 cases of german measles being notified or otherwise discovered.
This represents an incidence rate of 1.5 per 1,000 of population for measles, and 0.62 for
german measles. Five deaths were registered as being due to measles, all being of children
under five years of age. This equals a death-rate of 0'02 per 1,000 of population, and a case
mortality of l.5 per cent. of notified cases. There were no deaths from german measles.
The cases were notified or reported as follows:—
| Measles. | German Measles. | |
|---|---|---|
| Notified by medical practitioners | 261 | 111 |
| „ parents and guardians | 35 | 6 |
| Discovered otherwise | 31 | 17 |
| 327 | 134 |
Further statistical facts in regard to the disease will be found on pages 31 to 35.
All cases where it was considered necessary were attended by a visiting nurse once
or twice a day. During the year five cases of measles were nursed, 37 nursing visits being
made.
The number of cases notified, the deaths, and the case morality per cent. for the eight years during which measles has been notifiable, will be found in the following table: —
| Year. | Cases Notified. | Deaths. | Case Mortality, per cent. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | 1885 | 42 | 2.2 |
| 1917 | 3681 | 118 | 3.2 |
| 1918 | 2144 | 75 | 3.5 |
| 1919 | 1034 | 15 | 1.5 |
| 1920 | 3093 | 65 | 2.1 |
| 1921 | 1149 | 23 | 2.0 |
| 1922 | 3728 | 107 | 2.9 |
| 1923 | 327 | 5 | 1.5 |
WHOOPING COUGH.
There were 28 deaths from this disease during the year, and of this number 27 were
of children under five years of age.
Of the total 28 deaths, 9 were of males and 19 females. It is a curious fact, for which
no explanation is forthcoming, that whooping cough is the one cause of death which
kills more girls than boys.